Post office, Phoenix Fire Dept. explains why a USPS mailbox was removed

PHOENIX - Mailboxes have been disappearing around the nation, and some of those changes can be seen happening in the Valley.

The now-removed blue mailbox can be seen in an image from a Google street view taken in February of 2020 near 7th and Glendale avenues.

Courtesy of Google

Now, several months later, some are suspicious that it was removed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to somehow slow down the mail especially when it comes to ballots for the November election.

Linda Bylow says she’s used the mailbox for years and is suspicious of why it’s been removed. "It looks connected. The timing is unusual, I'd say," she said.

USPS has been criticized in other states for removing collection boxes ahead of the November election.

When USPS was asked about the collection box being removed, a spokesperson said the Phoenix Fire Department requested removal.

The mailbox sat in the parking lot adjacent to Phoenix Fire Station 20.

The fire department says it made the request in May because people pulling up to drop off mail were creating a hazard to trucks as they exited the station onto Glendale Avenue. They say the postal service removed the box a few weeks later in May.

Bylow accepts the explanation and says it’s good that people are paying attention and asking questions going forward.

"I think people need to pay more attention to whats going on in our community. They need to be active. They need to take notice if something's amiss. If they don't say anything about it, who is?" she said.